Fast Casual Nation

Chicken Salad Chick CFO Drew Travis on AI site selection and the road to 500 units

Hosts Cherryh Cansler and Paul Barron also break down why the rumored Starbucks and Chipotle deal was a false start, discuss how top brands are navigating traffic slumps without gutting margins, and explore bold marketing shifts like Chipotle’s "big ass bag."

October 23, 2026

Join the hosts fresh off the Fast Casual Executive Summit and Restaurant Catering Workshop as they chat with Drew Travis, the new CFO of Chicken Salad Chick. He shares insights from his time at McDonald's, Grubhub, and Bloomin' Brands, explaining howChicken Salad Chick is scaling past 340+ locations toward 500+ units, using AI to power predictive site selection, and driving positive foot traffic through consistency and pure Southern hospitality.

Also, the hosts analyze why the rumored Starbucks and Chipotle deal was a false start, discuss how top brands are navigating traffic slumps without gutting margins, and explore bold marketing shifts like Chipotle's "big ass bag."

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